This invention relates generally to room air conditioners and more particularly, to a method and apparatus for mounting a room air conditioner in a wall opening.
The typical room air conditioner comprises an outdoor section and an indoor section, the outdoor section being in heat exchange relationship with the outdoor air, and the indoor section being in heat exchange relationship with the indoor air. The preferred installation technique has, therefore, been to mount the air conditioning unit in an outside wall of the room to be air conditioned.
Because of the seasonal nature of the air conditioning systems, and because of the need to simplify the processes of periodically installing and removing the air conditioning units, an existing window opening was, and remains, a common location for the mounting of an air conditioning unit. The unit can simply be placed on the windowsill or stool, and then have the sash brought down tightly at its upper surface to secure the unit in its installed position. Size adjustable filler panels are used at the sides in order to accommodate the various sizes of window openings in air conditioning units.
For purposes of safety, various types of supporting shelves, brackets, clamps, collars, and the like have been used to provide support for and to securely fasten the air conditioning unit within the window opening. Generally, these installation techniques have been somewhat complicated and time consuming.
In many new construction projects, air conditioning is being included as one of the original design considerations. This is especially true in hot climates where air conditioning has almost become a necessity. Accordingly, it has become common practice to permanently mount air conditioning units in dedicated wall openings. These so-called "through-the-wall" units are thus installed during the later stages of the construction process and remain in those installed positions except for removal as required for repair, maintenance or replacement. The annual installation and removal process is not required with these units but, the initial installation process, and any subsequent removal and replacement as necessitated for the reasons mentioned above, may still involve a substantial amount of time. This is particularly true in multi-unit buildings, such as apartment complexes, where hundreds of units may be involved.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide an improved method and apparatus for installing room air conditioners.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a through-the-wall air conditioning unit installation technique which is simple and easy to implement.
Yet another object of the present invention is the provision for a through-the-wall air conditioning unit mounting apparatus that is economical to manufacture and extremely practical in use.
These objects and other features and advantages become more readily apparent upon reference to the following description when taken in conjunction with the appended drawings.